In the most recent survey of a group of academic medical centers nationwide, NYU was rated as the fastest at restoring blood flow to the hearts of heart attack victims with a technique called angioplasty. On average, NYU patients who arrived in the emergency room had the blood flow in their coronary arteries restored within 86 minutes—compared to 127 minutes elsewhere.

During a heart attack, the heart is damaged because it receives insufficient blood and oxygen. Restoring the heart’s blood flow as quickly as possible is critical to preventing further damage—or even death. To do so, doctors commonly perform an angioplasty, which opens clogged blood vessels leading to the heart. The procedure involves inserting a balloon-tipped tube, or catheter, into a narrow or blocked artery, then inflating and deflating it several times to widen the artery.

The study was conducted by University Health System Consortium, an organization of 35 major academic medical centers from across the United States.

For further information about NYU Medical Center’s outstanding performance in treating heart and vascular disease, see Healthcare Solutions, published by the Department of Clinical Evaluation and Outcomes Research, or call (212) 263-8199.